Individuals and fashion companies wishing to do so can donate sections of fabric that are appropriate for making the kinds of masks that are needed. This fabric, which is vital for this aid initiative to work, is sent to volunteer fashion designers who then create the masks in accordance with the AFNOR SPEC’s recommendations. They are then distributed among people who have requested them by registering on the website beforehand (with priority given to vulnerable people and/or people on low incomes).
The retail sector is the final link in this aid chain – it looks after mask drop-off, storage and pick-up. Alongside a number of other retailers (Intermarché and Monoprix), Carrefour and its wide network of stores (Carrefour hypermarkets, Market supermarkets and convenience stores) take delivery of the masks made in their store entrance areas and then distribute them to each beneficiary. 6000 Carrefour, Intermarché and Monoprix retail outlets across the whole of France can be selected on the website by fashion designers, ensuring a high level of regional coverage.
Créée à l’initiative d’Alexandre Jardin, l’opération « masque solidaire » met en relation donneurs de tissus, couturiers/couturières bénévoles, et réseaux de distribution afin de proposer gratuitement des masques aux plus fragiles et plus démunis. Les magasins de l’enseigne Carrefour sont parties prenantes de l’initiative en tant que points de dépôt et de retrait.